Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

This complete guide to world wines invites the reader to discover the greatest wine-producing regions in the world and to explore the vast range of astonishing wines available to us today. Traveling across the world, from the principal European wine-producing countries to the shores of the Black Sea, from Egypt to China, from Australia to South Africa, from California to Chile, we follow the trail of the major grape varieties, including Pinots, Cabernets, Chardonnay, Syrah and Riesling, through more than thirty countries. Along the way, we are told about the different classifications and regulations of each wine-producing country; we learn how to decipher the information given on wine labels; and we discover the makeup and distinctive traits of a great panoply of wines, from priceless collectors' items to modest table wines.

What are the characteristics of a Tunisian rosé? Canadian ice wine? The different categories of Spanish sherry? The most popular grape varieties in Californin reds? If you are seeking out the answers to these or other questions, this richly illustrated, exhilarating, tour of the world of wine provides the information you are looking for, making The Flammarion Guide to World Wines the ideal companion for all wine enthusiasts.

The Flammarion Guide to World Wines offers a clear and lively introduction to wine production the world over, and includes:

a concise history of wine-making from Antiquity to the present day

a survey of over thirty different countries, including many little known for their wine production (China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Romania, etc.)

an account of the geographical conditions encountered and the grape varieties favored in each region

guides to deciphering the information given on wine labels from different countries

over 450 color illustrations

About the Author

François Collombet is one of France's leading wine specialists. His recent publications include Grands et petits vins de France (Editions Hatier).